My 13 yr old female chihuahua has a lump om the right side

Customer Question

my 13 yr old female chihuahua has a lump om the right side of her female area.she is not fixed and has never been matedJA: I'm sorry to hear that. Some lumps are serious and some aren't. Let's see what the Veterinarian has to say. What is the dog's name?Customer: sandieJA: Is there anything else important you think the Veterinarian should know about sandie?Customer: no other than i just noticed it and it don't bother her ,,,,wouldn't have known it was there if it hadn't been i was giving her a bath...it is about the size of a egg

Hello and thank you for your question. I am a Veterinary Nurse with over 15 years experience and I have assisted in the care of many pets with this particular medical concern. It would be my pleasure to assist you today. Is it possible for me to obtain some additional information from you about your companion?

1) Can you attach a clear photograph of the lump you're seeing? 2) Does Sandie have any other lumps on her body? 3) Is she still urinating and defecating without issue?

Without a picture, it's going to be very difficult to know what you're seeing.

That said, I can tell you that on a chihuahua that's 13 years old and has an egg-sized mass, you'll want to have a veterinarian examine it and determine if removal is appropriate. If this mass continues to grow without removal, it may very well impede her ability to urinate and eventually defecate, necessitating euthanasia if she's unable to do so. I would err on the side of caution and have her examined to be absolutely certain that the 'watch and wait' approach is sufficient. At 13 years of age, we also have to worry about cancer, which is another reason I am encouraging an early examination of this area.